THAT Protocol
by lizzy74656
Summary: Janeway isn't the only one to follow protocols; read as to another who does so and why.


**Disclaimer:**Paramount and CBS have all rights to anything STVOY, I just write for pleasure and fun.

**THAT Protocol!**

By Lizzy74656. 14/08/09

_Set right after events in the TV episode Endgame, but before the books._

=/\=

It was in sickbay that the change was first noticed; the new parents were taking in the perfect form of their new daughter, Tom Paris went to ask the Doctor a question, it was then that he saw the EMH silently scream before vanishing.

"What happened?" he asked, looking at his wife, who was as puzzled as himself. "Computer re-instate the EMH," he ordered, but nothing happened, not a sound issued from the computer.

"Paris to Janeway. The Doctor has just vanished and the computer is not responding either."

"Acknowledged, Mr. Paris. Janeway out," she said puzzled; looking over at Chakotay at Conn, whose hands were flying over the controls. "Chakotay?" she questioned moving over to stand behind him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"The helm controls are not responding to **my** commands."

"Captain; All controls are locked," said Harry Kim from Ops.

"Confirmed," noted the dark Vulcan.

"What is going on?" Janeway asked of no one.

"We're being hailed, Captain. It's Admiral Paris, Ma'am." Crunch time indeed – she thought, indicating that the Ensign open the comm-channel.

=/\=Captain Janeway. Please explain your new heading?=/\= asked the worried face of the elder Paris.

"I wish I could, Admiral," she said, throwing her hands up in despair.

#Attention. Attention. Protocol one four b has now been initialised. Starfleet Medical has been advised; this vessel is now heading for the assigned area. ETA in 3hrs and 15 minutes; please await further announcements. Thank you.# The Computer politely informed them. Everyone – including those on the still active view screen – were stunned.

"Mr Tuvok. Have you ever heard of this protocol?" Chakotay asked, his words dropping carefully into the ensuing silence a few minutes later. The Vulcan was well known as a stickler for proper protocols, so if anyone knew about this one it would be Tuvok.

"Negative, Commander. I am unable to access the computer's database; therefore I cannot verify the matter."

"We are effectively locked out of every system. I think we could add data, but not alter anything, including personal logs," noted Kim softly.

"Your escorts say that your shields are at full strength and they also are locked out of your systems, even your registry data," said Paris as perplexed by the turn of events as everyone else; his Pathfinder staff working around him in the background. Lt. Barclay approached him.

"Admiral Paris, I have contacted Cmdr. Data on the Enterprise; He maybe able to help solve this mystery, Sir."

=/\=Good thinking, Lieutenant. We'll get to the bottom of this Captain Janeway. Paris out=/\=

The bridge crew just sat and stood looking at each other wondering where this would lead. Janeway retreated to her command chair rather than her Ready Room, which Chakotay realised was rather unusual even for her; causing him to frown at her worriedly. He also noted Seven standing above the Captain at the diagnostic console her fingers working furiously; he knew from his own unresponsive conn board that it was a futile effort, but she looked as if she wasn't going to give up anytime soon.

"Computer; Please clarify Protocol one four b?" he asked softly, looking at the female Captain as she sat in her command chair staring at nothing.

#Protocol 14b is a quarantine measure that must be implemented when a starship has been out of contact with Earth and Starfleet for more than 5yrs. This vessel was last in contact with Starfleet on stardate 48315.6 [April 26, 2371, Time: 04:39:21] and has therefore been out of contact with Starfleet for 6yrs 8mth 29 days 14hrs 54minutes and 46seconds. Thus Protocol 14b has been enacted. Awaiting further instructions from the current head of Starfleet Medical and the decontaminate team.#

"Decontaminate team! The computer makes us sound like a disease or something," noted Tom Paris' voice from the direction of the turbo-lift; his arm protectively around the shoulders of his wife and new daughter.

"Tom, B'Elanna; Congratulations," Chakotay smiled, indicating that the new mother take his command chair next to Janeway. The polite applause as the couple walked across the command area brought the Captain out of her self-imposed reverie; she smiled warmly at them and also made some soft comments as she looked at the newborn; causing Paris and Torres to smile broadly at her proud as punch.

"We've been in contact with Starfleet," said the perplexed tones of Harry Kim.

"Computer, When was Protocol 14b enacted?" Janeway asked.

#Protocol 14b was initialised on Stardate 54980.2.# [December 24, 2377, Time: 18:33:07]

"That's today!" said Torres.

"Sure it is! Wait a minute," Tom said and joined Chakotay at the Conn console and checked the data displayed there. He pointed it out to the tattooed male and they grinned at each other.

"Care to enlighten us mere mortals?" Janeway asked.

"Sure, Captain," Tom said, yet he spoke to Ensign Kim. "The nearest navigation beacon, Harry; where is it located in relation to our position when we exited the Borg ship?" he asked his friend, keeping everyone on tender hooks, whilst his young friend checked his console, Tuvok also checked his.

"It looks like we picked up the nearest two. A communications relay and the star base Jupiter Station. We're now locked onto the old co-ordinates of Lunus Base," he informed them, still puzzled by his friend Tom's and the Commander's grins.

"Confirmed," said Tuvok, his tone implying he knew what was coming.

"We **the** crew may have been in contact with Starfleet…" Chakotay started to say.

"But the ships navigation computers haven't been, until…" said B'Elanna, picking up on his line of reasoning.

"Until this vessel encountered its first Starfleet/Federation navigation and communications beacon," said Tuvok finishing the thought. Relaxed smiles broke forth around the bridge as the crew realised that they weren't in any imminent danger.

"Who would have thought it," noted Janeway, her own smile relaxed. "That the Computer would bring up **that** protocol; I wonder why?"

Seven's strident tone calling the Captain grated across the bridge, that everyone shot her a cold look, including Chakotay.

"Yes, Seven," the woman said, through gritted teeth.

"The Computer appears to have done more than implement Protocols 14b," the blonde female said, not even looking up from her console, at which she worked, fingers flying across the board trying to get it to respond to her urgings with more than the passive data it was displaying; but it stubbornly refused to allow her in. "The Protocol has been enhanced in some manner that I do not understand." Silence descended again until Kim announced that both Pathfinder and the Enterprise were hailing them.

"On screen, Mr. Kim; Conference mode," she advised. The faces of Admiral Paris with Barclay beside him within the Pathfinder control room appeared on one half of the screen, whilst Picard and the bridge of the Sovereign class Enterprise appeared on the other.

=/\=Welcome home, Captain Janeway and Voyager=/\= said Picard graciously. Janeway relaxed and smiled.

"Thank you, Captain Picard. New ship?" she queried, taking in the new design and décor of the bridge, as well as the crews uniforms.

"Enterprise – D served us well right to the last. That little story can wait for now." From the looks that passed round the Enterprise bridge crew it was probably more than a 'little' story to be sure. "Commander Data, would you please tell us what you've discovered about Protocol 14b."

"Aye, Captain. Protocol 14b comes from the time when the first warp capable Enterprise NX01 was in service. All away teams had to go through a decontamination process under the supervision of the on-board doctor via monitors in Sickbay before the personnel could return to full duties aboard their vessel. Once Starfleet came into full operation Protocols were put in place for all serving vessels within Starfleet. Protocol 14 was encoded into all vessels; that if any ship was out of contact with Earth for more than 18 months the ship was to rendezvous with the decontaminate team at the designated area on Lunus Base. This was upgraded to 14a, for 3yrs and then the current b for longer than 5yrs since most Starship missions were of five year duration," he paused a moment in his lengthy narrative.

"But surely transporters were in operation even on those early vessels?"

"Indeed, Ensign Kim they were; but they were primarily used for transporting heavy goods, equipment and other inanimate objects. Transporting people was only done in an emergency situation. It wasn't until the USS Enterprise NCC 1701 Constitution class was commissioned that transporters were used as standard procedure for getting people from ship to ship and ship to planet and back again. Once bio-filters were added to the system, decon became a redundant procedure. This is where things get interesting," smiling quietly taking in his attentive and stunned audience. "Protocol 14b was never revoked and yet every starship ever built has this protocol in its mainframe computer database; this includes all fully commissioned ships ever built at all of Starfleet's fleet-yards," Data proudly informed them.

"Including the current Enterprise?" Captain Picard asked.

"Yes, Captain."

=/\=Why was it never revoked?=/\= asked Admiral Paris; entering the conversation for the first time.

"That I can not answer, Admiral; my best guess is they simply forgot about it." His tone caused his crew-mates to grin.

"You, Data; have a knack for the gross understatement of the century," teased the engineer.

"I quite agree, Geordie," said Barclay.

"When will this Protocol be concluded?"

"When the assigned Doctor – in this case the head of Starfleet Medical – has assessed the situation and has deemed the crew free of any contaminates."

"In that case Admiralty will have to conduct debriefings at the same time as decon," noted the elder Paris. "Is your computer aware of who is the current head of Starfleet Medical?" he asked.

Thus Janeway asked their computer that question, the answer had quite an effect on one crew member.

#Current head of Starfleet Medical is Doctor Katherine Pulaski. #

"PULASKI!"

"Chakotay?" questioned Janeway, noting his shocked expression.

"You are known to the good Doctor Katherine Pulaski?" Data asked politely.

"You could say that," he said, still trying to reign in his reaction to the computer's news.

"Care to enlighten us, Commander?" asked Admiral Paris, softly amused.

"**No. **I'd rather not, Sir," amending his tone. "Let's just say I'll have to stay well away from **any** airlocks whilst under her jurisdiction," he noted warily, ignoring the grins and questioning glances from his crew-mates.

"Sounds like you had quite an adventure with the good Doctor, Commander!" noted Picard, grinning along with his crew. No one on Voyager's bridge thought of asking their XO any questions as his expression told them that that little adventure would not be openly disclosed any time soon, so they let the subject matter drop.

"We'll have to wait to hear from Dr. Pulaski and see where matters develop from there; Admiral and Captain," Janeway said addressing both men.

=/\=Indeed, Captain Janeway=/\= Picard acknowledged verbally; Whilst Admiral Paris nodded his head and then they both signed off.

=/\=

In the silence that ensued on Voyager's bridge all the crew wondered what sort of homecoming they had returned to. Seven still worked furiously at the diagnostic console the beeps and clicks, her working fingers inflicted on everyone's ears the only sound that permeated the area. Janeway clenched her jaw, her eyes flashing angrily. Chakotay decided to move; he silently indicated to Paris to take the Conn, whilst he stood and worked around the bridge to the upper level and caught Seven's hands off the console from behind her, causing her noise to cease abruptly. He held her in a tight grip against his torso in a bear-like hug, holding her hands against her waist. At first she tried to struggle, yet he tightened his hold.

"Enough, Seven!" his voice low and menacing in her ear; the bridge relaxed, Janeway gave him a hesitant smile which he responded to. Seven looked sideways from his face to the Captain's and wondered what these two human's had yet didn't act on. Although she'd enjoyed being held in a tight embrace with the Commander, this tight grip frightened her, leaving her unsure of his actions towards her. Sensing and feeling the apprehension in this young woman, he loosened his hold a little.

"Leave things alone," he whispered quietly in her ear, before letting her go completely. Seven stood there back ramrod straight, her hands still pressed up against her stomach, where he'd held her. It took a moment for her to realise that she'd been released so she tried to relax, but was unable to do so; instead she concentrated on appearing calm by regulating her breathing. Yet she didn't fool those standing close-by including Chakotay. He was acutely aware that his actions had unnerved her and yet strangely he wasn't that surprised or upset at doing so. It was the look in his friend's eyes that unsettled him.

Janeway turned away from looking at the pair; the couple that _Admiral_ Janeway had said would be husband and wife soon. She knew he was still watching her, as she re-took her command chair; she could almost feel his eyes on her, as if they were boring into her inner self.

'Kathryn you're imagining things' she silently scolded herself, and yet she couldn't ignore his dark gaze as it seemed to burn into the back of her head.

=/\=

Slowly the ship edged towards it's destination on Lunus, on impulse power, with the crew as passengers. It wasn't long, before reports reached the bridge of minor incidents, around the vessel with the off-duty crew, of electric shocks if anyone tried to tamper with the computer. Thus Janeway decided to make an announcement, that the crew leave things alone and just monitor proceedings. It was Kim's announcement that got them really worried.

"Captain. Someone is trying to access the computer core. From outside the ship," he added, before she could ask for the location. Seven joined him and assessed the information.

"To be more precise, this person is attempting to re-establish transporter controls," she added to his report.

"You can't transport through the shields," noted a disquieted voice.

"They're attempting to punch holes in the shields in order to target specific members of this crew," she informed seriously.

"Who?" Janeway asked urgently, turning to look at Seven.

"Those who were part of the Maquis." Silence descended on the bridge once more, no-one liked what that implied.

"Contact Admiral Paris, Mr. Kim," she ordered, noting Chakotay join Tuvok at the Security Chief's console and ask a soft question.

"The attempts have so far not been successful, Commander," the Vulcan calmly informed his worried colleague. "This Protocol – one four b – appears to be solid," he said, eyebrow rising in puzzlement, it had the tattooed male hiding a soft smile in response.

=/\=Voyager. We have picked up some unusual activity via the communications network. What is happening with you?=/\= Admiral Paris asked concerned.

"Someone is trying to establish transporter locks on certain members of this crew," Janeway responded, her voice tight.

"Let me guess. The Maquis?" he asked. She could only nod her reply. "Are they getting through?" his expression worried.

"No," noted Tuvok calmly. "Protocol one four b is holding."

"Acknowledged, Voyager. Keep me informed." =/\=Pathfinder out=/\=

Vocal silence surrounded them once more, only the usual beeps and electronic chatter of the working ship's consoles assaulted their ears.

"Now what?" asked Torres quietly, she didn't like this inactivity, although her arms were full with holding her new born daughter.

"Mr. Kim is the internal comm. system open?" Janeway asked. At his nod she added, "I'm open to any reasonable suggestions, as to what to do about our current situation." For a few minutes no-one responded.

"Appoint a spokesperson for each department or area; otherwise if you all speak at once it will overload the system," suggested Chakotay.

=/\=Bridge can someone give us a brief summary of what has been happening so far?=/\=

"Sensible," noted Tuvok, bringing a soft smile to Janeway's face. Kim suggested that Seven do the honours, thus she explained about the attempts from outside the ship to circumnavigate the computer's Protocol one four b and what that protocol entailed.

"Sounds like the ship is trying to protect us," noted a male voice that Chakotay and Torres recognised as Kenneth Dalby.

"But why? We're in friendly territory."

"Are we?" asked Tom Paris. "The Federation has just been through a war with a race of beings that showed no toleration for anyone. How do they know we're not the enemy!" he reasoned.

"Plus the fact that not everyone is going to welcome the Maquis with open arms," said Torres with bitterness.

"Voyager is a Starfleet ship with a Starfleet crew." Janeway stated firmly.

"Maybe, Captain; for some in Starfleet we're nothing more than a reminder of all that was wrong with the DMZ," noted the voice of Sam Wildman.

"And their failure to squash that rebellion from among their own citizens," added the voice of Tal Celes.

"Captain, all that you remember of Starfleet and the Federation is what you left behind seven years ago," said Chakotay gently, stalling her words of conviction in Starfleet, that he could sense she was about to utter. "From what family and friends have told various members of this crew via Pathfinder the Starfleet out there," pointing towards the outer hull and space. "Is not the one you followed anymore," he said his voice calm and reasoning, as he moved across the bridge to stand near her in the command centre.

"Too right it isn't," noted another bitter sounding voice through the comm.

"You called us a Starfleet crew, in some respects that is not strictly true either," he said mildly, stalling her again with a gentle look. "It is a crew run on Starfleet principles that is true. Voyager isn't a ship and crew, but a family. And right now this family is under attack from people and persons unknown. So we should react as a family."

"The first member of our family – Voyager has done her part; so we should work with her not against," said Tom from the helm, a smile spreading across his face.

"You are attributing sentiment towards an inanimate object," Seven pointed out decisively.

"How do you explain that Voyager's computer chose that protocol – 14b – out of all the forgotten protocols in her main data frame?" Kim asked. Seven looked non-pulsed despite the fact that she did not have an answer. Janeway felt a warmth towards these people, as voices spoke through the open communications network, about what to do.

"Wait," she commanded halting the excited babble. "Since Voyager is attempting to protect us, then we should make it harder for those on the outside to pick us out individually." Suddenly the bridge lights dimmed for a moment, and an audible straining hum could be heard, before everything righted itself. Torres checked the command console beside her and then spoke.

"The shield grid almost lost power. The computer compensated by drawing power from elsewhere. I can't be sure, but I'd say someone is attempting to overload the shield grid with a low level energy pulse."

"That is not good news," said Tuvok. "It would be prudent to move all personnel close to the ship's hull to inner quarters and power down those areas," he suggested.

"Vorik and Dalby see if you can enhance our shield output, without making it register on any sensor scans," Torres ordered. Two 'Ayes' was the response.

"Security personnel report to all quarters on the outer hull," Tuvok started to order.

"Already on it, Sir," was the verbal response from Ayala. Seven returned to the diagnostic console and asked the computer for information about Protocol 14b, Harry Kim from his own console also checked data, keeping it in read only mode. The computer willingly responded to their enquiries, whilst the rest of the crew happily worked in moving everyone into the central area of the ship. Engineering managed to strengthen the shields, using the additional power the evacuated areas provided, especially for the Bridge and Mess Hall, using a rotating frequency which pulsed across the shield grid in a wave like pattern that it effectively made the shields impenetrable – or so they hoped.

With the powered down areas acting as a buffer zone between the crew and outer space, it appeared as if the whole ship had switched to grey-mode. Vorik suggested that the Bridge and Mess Hall also be made to look powered down. Thus the crew sort out coverings to put over the main view ports and cut the internal lighting by half; someone managed to find a metallic mesh that would still allow the crew to see out and yet cut visual clarity inwards. They discovered it also reduced external scanners from picking up body heat too.

=/\=

In her Ready Room, Janeway listened to Chakotay's verbal report of how the work was progressing and about how crew morale had also increased in response to help protect their colleagues from outside hostiles.

"We shouldn't have to be doing this, Chakotay," she lamented, bathed in the softer lighting, the view ports covered with the metallic mesh.

"I know, Kathryn," he responded softly. Although the internal comm. system was still open, here in her private sanctuary it was not, allowing them to talk freely. The pair sat either side of her desk, many of her personal items packed away in the Starfleet issued trunk sitting open on the floor near the upper seating area.

"We should be celebrating, looking forward to being back with family and friends, not trying to hide from an organisation who's principles we've done our best to up-hold even under the most trying of circumstances," she said, anger creeping into her tone, picking up her coffee mug; finding its contents cold, she put it back down on her desk again, with a frustrated sigh.

"You achieved what you set out to do, Kathryn. Return Voyager to the Federation and..."

"Not home, Chakotay," she interrupted him. "This isn't 'Home'," waving her hand vaguely in the direction of planet Earth. "The Admiral may have thought that by cutting our journey short we'd be 'home', but..." looking at him with blue eyes that showed her uncertainty clearly. "What have we come back to?" she asked, frowning worriedly.

"We can only wait and see, Kathryn." His tone gave her pause for thought a moment as she watched him, watching her.

"You have always lived in the present, taking each moment as it comes," Janeway said quietly with a fond smile. "You have also been a good friend, Chakotay; one I haven't always fully appreciated at times," she held up a hand to stall his response, thus he waited. "Tuvok said from the very beginning that you'd be a good First Officer and you have," she stood and moved to sit on his side of the desk so that she was close to him. "I'm not sure if I'll ever get another chance to say this, but..."

=/\=Captain to the Bridge=/\=

The two shared an exasperated grin at the sound of Tuvok's voice, laughter in their eyes.

"He has always had a lousy sense of timing," noted Chakotay, his dimpled smile gracing his face, as he got to his feet.

"Agreed," she muttered, preceding him out of her office. "Report!" she said sharply, standing in the command area of the bridge, hands on hips, but it was the computer that spoke.

#Voyager is currently at the designated co-ordinates of Lunus Base; awaiting further instructions from Starfleet Medical#

"Is that all," she heard someone mutter sourly, turning to look at Chakotay; yet his mild expression informed her that the words hadn't come from him. 'Question, was she expecting them too?' she quietly asked herself watching as the tattooed male took his command chair – which Torres had vacated some time ago – and studied the readout. If he was aware of her scrutiny he gave no visible sign of it, which for reasons she couldn't fully fathom disturbed her.

=/\=Voyager this is Dr. Pulaski=/\=

"Acknowledged Doctor," Janeway responded calmly.

"You are to land at the designated coordinates. Confirm."

"Confirmed," said Paris, having received the telemetry on his console.

"Good I expect you there within the next fifteen minutes," the woman's tone commanding. =/\=Pulaski out=/\=

"Is she always like that?" Tom enquired, looking round and directing his question at Chakotay.

"Doctor Katherine Pulaski is a very good medic and therefore doesn't suffer fools lightly," he consented to say.

"Like you, you mean," he quipped cheekily.

"Mister Paris, just keep your mind on your job," she said stalling the banter.

"Aye, Captain," he acknowledged, doing nothing to hide his grin from his tone. Chakotay just shook his head a smile of his own on his lips. Janeway wondered at his past encounter with this Dr. Pulaski, and not for the first time that day. She did think about calling up the woman's Starfleet service record, yet it wouldn't really give her the information she wanted to know, that would only come from Chakotay and/or Pulaski. The latter she had yet to meet and the former was being tight lipped about it all, despite the gentle teasing the male was getting from various members of the crew, about it. It was his expression that troubled her, an almost secretive smile, as if he was recalling a warm memory of a pleasing event. If he caught her looking at him that smile would broaden, as if he knew what she was thinking and was amused by it.

"Kathryn?" he asked gently, quietly breaking into her puzzling thoughts.

"Sorry, Commander," she responded pleasantly.

"We'll be at the coordinates in a few minutes. Thus we'll be getting ready to land."

"Acknowledged," her tone sounding a little disappointed even to her ears.

"You alright?" he asked quietly so that only she heard him. Janeway smiled at him and called for code blue to be initiated, thus the lighting dimmed to blue and the landing sequence began.

=/\=

Soon all was quiet on the bridge, having locked down and completed the procedures for the landing of the ship. Janeway had hoped to land Voyager in a blaze of glory at Starfleet HQ, San Francesco, but it was not to be; she did not like what they had quite literally landed themselves into. Although she had achieved the impossible – with the aide of her future self, admittedly – this was still not the homecoming she'd been expecting.

"Now what?" someone asked into the silence.

=/\=Pulaski to Voyager=/\=

"Voyager here, Doctor," Janeway responded, her tone tired and despondent.

"Permission to beam aboard?"

#Negative. Repeat, Negative# announced the computer, sounding the Red Alert; klaxons blaring out across the once silent ship.

"It is alright, Voyager. Your ship's computer is only following its programmed protocols. Please cancel and we can..." her voice was cut-off abruptly.

#Negative#

"Would someone care to explain?" asked the Captain of no one, looking round at her crew.

"I can," piped up Harry Kim. Her expression told him to proceed. "Only the Head of Starfleet Medical can cancel Protocol 14b, and the voice we just heard does not match the one on file in Starfleet's records. It is close enough to fool anyone who knows Dr. Katherine Pulaski, but not the computer records."

"Or at least not the up-to-date ones," noted Ayala.

"That's just it, Ayala. They are up-to-date," said Chakotay, having been checking his console's readout along with silencing the klaxon audio. "It appears that as soon as the computer connected to a Federation beacon it up-loaded all the necessary data to enact Protocol one four b," he informed them. "I get the feeling that someone out there is not aware of that," he added, sharing a concerned look with Janeway.

"So were those co-ordinates from Pulaski or someone else?" asked Paris.

"Then the question is; 'where are we?'" noted Seven softly, her blue eyes wary.

"Indeed," Janeway said, her eyes still locked with those of her First Officer.

"We're being hailed," said Harry Kim.

"On screen," she ordered. The main view screen flickered into life and the face of a fair-haired woman in the new standard Starfleet uniform of the top medical officer stared out at them.

=/\=Chakotay! I do hope you've been behaving yourself=/\= the woman said by way of greeting, smiling at the male who now stood next to Janeway.

"No more than usual," he responded with a smile, causing the woman to laugh heartily.

"Captain Kathryn Janeway. Dr. Katherine Pulaski, at your service," she said, inclining her head to the red-head, still smiling warmly.

"Pleasure to meet you, Doctor. What happens now?" she asked, looking from her XO to this woman Doctor hoping that an explanation would be forthcoming, but the female medic only gave them clear instructions to link her with their medical computer and the EMH.

"Your ship will effectively be your decontaminate area, whilst we check over the crews general health and whether you're carrying anything you shouldn't and that all your immune systems can still cope with any contaminates of the Alpha Quadrant," she told them, her manner brisk and professional. "You may need to check your EMH's programming thoroughly. We have reason to believe it may have been compromised by Teero." That news did not go down well.

"I'll have my chief engineer go over him," Janeway began.

"She's the one who's just given birth, yes?"

"Yes, she has."

"I suggest you have someone else do it, as it will need to be **very** thorough," her tone of voice stern. Janeway looked round at Seven, who quietly nodded her assent. "As for **you**, Chakotay!" her voice still stern, but suddenly she grinned, lightening the tension.

=/\=Never mind. Pulaski out=/\=

"The Mystery of XO and Starfleet Doctor unresolved!" Paris quipped in his best Captain Proton narrative.

"Careful, Paris or Pulaski might show **you** the nearest airlock," Chakotay said, grinning broadly. Janeway realised that perhaps Tom's quip was right, frowning at her XO. Shaking herself of her disquieting thoughts she ordered, Seven to look over the Doctor's programming and see if it had been tampered with; thus the crew got themselves organised for a round of the dreaded medicals.

=/\=

Well dear reader, please review as of this moment I haven't much idea where to take this from here! Any sensible ideas are welcome, thank you.


End file.
